Comminuting device



March 9, 1965 F. OTTO 3,172, 42

COMMINUTING DEVICE Filed June 4, 1962 20 0' FIG.4

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Fritz 0H0 FIG 5 INVENTOR.

jz ss BY Q411 United States Patent 3,172,442 COMMINUTING DEVXCE Fritz @tto, Hameln (Weser Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Bolder Trust reg, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Filed June 4, 1962, Scr. No. 199335 Claims priority, application Germany, June 8, 1561, St 13,557 13 Claims. (Cl. 146-68) My present invention relates to a comminuting device, also known as a blender, for foodstuffs and other fibrous materials adapted to be introduced as a viscous mass or slurry into a receptacle.

In such blenders it is customary to provide one or more cutting blades spinning at high velocity about a generally vertical axis above the bottom of the receptacle, the rotation of the blades imparting to the entrained mass a circular motion which centrifugally urges its particles against the suitably curved peripheral wall of the receptacle and upwards therealong to create a toroidal vortex whereby the particles are circulated time and again past the sweep of the blades for repetitive comminution and thorough intermingling. For this purpose it is necessary to position the blade or blades at a certain level above the bottom of the receptacle, the optimum level varying with the volume of the mass and, therefore, with the extent to which a given receptable has been filled. Thus, eliicient operation under different loading conditions would call for different cutting units interchangeably attachable to the blender shaft, yet this solution is usually impractical since the correct installation of such units requires not only time but also a certain skill in assembling and disassembling which may.

unduly tax the abilities of the average user, e.-g. a housewife. Attempts at making the elevation of the blades adjustable have not let to commercially realizable constructions.

It is, therefore, the general object of my present invention to provide an improved device of the character referred to in which these disadvantages are avoided and which by simple manipulation may be adapted for efiicient use with full-capacity and partial-capacity loads.

This object is realized, in accordance with my present invention, by the provision of a removable insert between the receptacle bottom and the cutter assembly rotatable thereabove, this insert forming a false bottom whose spacing from the cutting blade or blades is substantially less than that of the original bottom whereby even small quantities of material tobe processed in the blender can be effectively comminuted. Advantageously, the insert is held against rotation relative to the receptacle by a simple retaining member in the receptacle bottom proper, preferably a non-circular plug received in a mating cutout of the receptacle bottom and traversed by the cutter shaft upon which it bears with resilient pressure to act as a packing therefor.

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is at top plan view of a blender according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view taken substantially on the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the device with parts broken away; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line VV of FIG. 2.

The blender shown in the drawing comprises a cupshaped receptacle l with a curved peripheral wall portion 2 merging into a substantially fiat bottom 3. This bottom is formed with a cutout 16 of roughly rectangu- "ice lar configuration in which there is seated a stepped plug 6 of similar shape. The plug 6 has a central bore 4 traversed by an upright shaft 5 that is driven by a suitable motor (not shown) to which it may be removably attached in any convenient manner. The upper, larger step 'of plug 6 fits into a mating cutout 17 of a generally disk-shaped insert 7 removably resting on the receptacle bottom 3.

Shaft 5 is flattened at 5', to form,'just above the level of plug 6, a pair of shoulders on which rests a cutter assembly composed of a pair of blades 9', 9", a series of angular spacers 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 130, a tubular boss 14 and a knurled nut 15 which engages the threaded top of shaft 5 to clamp the underlying members together. The spacers 13b, 13c, are beveled so that the blades 9, 9" clamped therebetween slope outwardly and downwardly, in diametrically opposite directions, at a small angle which substantially corresponds to half the apex angle of the slightly conical central portion of insert 7 whose generatrices, therefore, are approximately parallel to these blades. A center hole 8 provided above cutout 17 in insert 7 clears the stack 13a--13e, 14, 15 whereby the latter, together with the blades 9', 9" and the shaft 5, may be bodily withdrawn upwardly after detachment of the shaft from its motor. The insert 7 may be easily removed or reintroduced upon such withdrawal; to facilitate its removal, it is advantageously provided with finger holes 12 forming outward lobes on hole 8. An annular recess 11 at the underside of the insert helps reduce its weight and lower its cost of manufacture. Insert 7 is flared upwardly along its outer periphery to form a lip iii hugging the curved receptacle wall 2 with substantially no discontinuity therebetween.

The recepticle 1 is formed with legs 18 by which it can be supported on the motor housing. A cover 19 may be hinged to it at 20' and may be fastenable in closed position by any suitable means such as, for example, a pin passed through a bore 20 in a lug 21. It will further be seen that the insert 7 has a virtually fiat inner zone 7a (FIG. 2) whose outer radius substantially equals the length of the blades 9', 9", in contradistinction to the receptacle bottom 3 whose flat upper surface merges with the curved peripheral wall 2 in the vicinity of that radius; this accounts for a further reduction of the clearance below the blades.

It will be noted that, in the particular embodiment illustrated, the false bottom formed by insert 7 approximately halves the distance between the upper blade 9' and the receptacle bottom 3 while reducing the elevation of the lower blade 9" above its base to a fraction of its original value. Thus, even small quanties of foodstuff or other materials may be effectively subjected to the action of the blades.

Modifications of the specific arrangement described and illustrated are, of course, possible without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A comminuting device comprising a cup-shaped receptacle with a substantially closed bottom, a shaft rising upwardly from said bottom, blade means mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith at an elevated level above said bottom, and a generally annular insert surrounding said shaft and overlying said bottom below said blade means for supporting comminutable material at a reduced distance from said blade means, said receptacle having a curved peripheral -wall portion merging with a fiat upper surface of said bottom with the sweep of said blade means and rising above the level thereof, said insert being provided with a substantially flat ring portion extending radially beyond said upper surface with an upwardly flared peripheral lip hugging said wall porarvaaaa :3 ion and merging therewith in a substantially continuous manner.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said shaft is provided with mounting means for securing said blade means thereto, said insert being provided with a center hole clearing said mounting means.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said insert is further provided with at least one finger hole forming an outward lobe on said center hole.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said insert is provided-with a recessed underside resting on said bottom.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein said blade means comprises at least one radially extending blade sloping downwardly in a direction away from said shaft,

said insert having a generally conical central portion with generatrices substantially parallel to said blade.

6. A comminuting device comprising a cup-shaped receptacle with a substantially closed bottom, a shaft rising upwardly from said bottom, blade means mounted 'on said shaft for rotation therewith at an elevated level above said bottom, a generally annular insert surrounding said shaft and overlying said bottom below said blade means for supporting cornminutable material at a reduced distance from said blade means, and retaining means on said receptacle preventing rotation of said insert relative thereto; said insert and said bottom being provided with noncircular central cutouts, said retaining means comprisia a plug matingly received in said cutouts and traversed by said shaft.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein said shaft is formed with a shoulder above said plug, further comprising mounting means for said bla e means supported on said shoulder.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein said mounting means includes a stack of spacers, said blade means comprising at least two blades. clamped between said spacers and sloping downwardly toward the periphery of said receptacle, and clamping means securing said spacers and said blades to said shaft.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein said insert has a slightly conical central portion with generatrices substantially parallel to said blades.

10. A device according to claim 6 wherein said receptacle has a curved peripheral wall portion substantially at the level of said blade means, said insert being provided with an upwardly flared peripheral lip hugging said wall portion and merging therewith in a substantially continuous manner.

11. A comminuting device comprising, in combination,

a cup-shaped receptacle having an inner bottom face;

rotatable blade means in said receptacle spaced a given distance from said bottom face so as to comminute comminutable material supported on said inner bottom face of said receptacle; a removable insert overlying said bottom face below said blade'means and spaced therefrom for supporting, when located in said receptacle, comrninutable material at a distance from said blade means which is about half said given distance so that said blade means will properly 'comminute a relatively small amount of material in the receptacle; and retaining means on said receptacle and cooperating with said insert for preventing rotation of said insert relative to said receptacle.

12. A comminuting device comprising, in combination, a cup-shaped receptacle having an inner concavely bottom face of a given curvature; rotatable blade means in said receptacle spaced a given distance from said bottom face so as to comrninute comminutable material supported on said inner bottom face of said receptacle; a removable insert overlying said bottom face below said blade means for supporting, when located insaid rece tacle, comrninutable material at a distance from said blademeans which is about half said given distance so that said blade means will properly comminute a relatively small amount of material in the receptacle, said insert having a bottom face matching the curvature of said inner concavely curved bottom face of said receptacle and a top face spaced from and facing said blade means and having a curvature different from that of said inner bottom face of said receptacle so as to form with said bottomface of said insert a tapering rim portion having a sharp outer edge closely engaging the inner bottom face of the receptacle; and retaining means on said receptacle and cooperating with said insert for preventing rotation of said insert relative, to said receptacle.

13. A comminuting device comprising, in combination, a cup-shaped receptacle having a bottom wall; drive shaft means projecting centrally through said bottom wall into said receptacle; blade means mounted on said drive shaft means for rotation therewith spaced a given distance from said bottom wall; a removable annular insert surrounding said drive shaft means and overlying said bottom wall below said blade means for supporting, when located in said receptacle, comminutable' material at a distance from said blade means'smaller than said given distance; and retaining means on said receptacle and cooperating with said insert for preventing rotation of said insert relative to said receptacle.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS l. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary/Examiner.

ARNOLD RUEGG, Examiner. 

1. A COMMINUTING DEVICE COMPRISING A CUP-SHAPED RECEPTACLE WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED BOTTOM, A SHAFT RISING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM, BLADE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AT AN ELEVATED LEVEL ABOVE SAID BOTTOM, AND A GENERALLY ANNULAR INSERT SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT AND OVERLYING SAID BOTTOM BELOW SAID BLADE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING COMMINUTABLE MATERIAL AT A REDUCED DISTANCE FROM SAID BLADE MEANS, SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING A CURVED PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION MERGING WITH A FLAT UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BOTTOM WITH THE SWEEP OF SAID BLADE MEANS AND RISING ABOVE THE LEVEL THEREOF, SAID INSERT BEING PROVIDED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RING PORTION EXTENDING RADIALLY BEYOND SAID UPPER SURFACE WITH AN UPWARDLY FLARED PERIPHERAL LIP HUGGING SAID WALL PORTION AND MERGING THEREWITH IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS MANNER. 